
| |
Disability Culture Leadership Initiative launches online hub with Chicago artists
--From a 3Arts press release
CHICAGO, IL (Jan. 15, 2021)— 3Arts, the Chicago-based nonprofit grantmaking organization, announced today the launch of the Disability Culture Leadership Initiative (DCLI), featuring a new online platform created to elevate ...
|
|

| |
Tribute event to honor Chicago's first Cultural Historian Jan. 28
--From a City of Chicago press release
CHICAGO, IL Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) today announced a tribute event to honor Chicago's first Cultural Historian, Tim Samuelson. Samuelson recently retired after 3 ...
|
|
|

| |
American Writers Museum launches virtual American Voices exhibit
--From a press release
(CHICAGO - December 7, 2020) - The American Writers Museum (AWM) today announced the launch of a new website NationofWriters.org, an online resource featuring a virtual American Voices exhibit, educational ...
|
|

| |
THEATER About Face airing festival with Black LGBTQ+ artists
About Face Theatre is launching its 25th season with Kickbackan online festival of 10 newly commissioned short plays and performances by Black LGBTQ+ artists, inspired by the Rebuild Foundation's collections at the Stony Island Arts Bank. ...
|
|

| |
Adler Planetarium showcases work of Frank Kameny
Adler Planetarium,The Kameny Papers and Google Arts & Culture have created and made available the Frank Kameny/Pride exhibition, an online graphic slide show, viewable at Google Arts & Culture. Thirteen slides document Kameny's life and work. ...
|
|

| |
BOOKS/ART Local man releases sketches by famous artist uncle
Cuban American painter Gustavo Ojeda (1958—89) is best known for lush and meditative urban nightscapes that brought him recognition in the 1980s downtown New York art scene. He exhibited works alongside artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, ...
|
|

| |
Play development series seeks new plays authored by artists of color
--From a press release
(Chicago, IL) Calling all bold, imaginative new plays authored by artists of color for Future LabsGoodman Theatre's newest artistic program to develop works authored and directed by Black, Indigenous, Latinx, AAPI and other artists of co ...
|
|

| |
Five Worth Finding: Restaurants, OUT100, children's book, face mask
—Perry's Steakhouse & Grille (PerrysSteakhouse.com): This suburban spot (with two restaurants in Oak Brook and Schaumburg) is well-known for its delicious cuts of meat, sumptuous sides and hand-crafted cocktails. It's ...
|
|

| |
Day With(out) Art: Transmissions launches online Nov. 30
--From a press release
NEW YORK, Nov. 16, 2020 — Visual AIDS, the only contemporary arts organization fully committed to raising AIDS and HIV awareness through dialogue, art exhibitions and public forums, announces their ...
|
|

| |
Hyde Park Art Center gala Nov. 21
Hyde Park Art Center will present its annual galaheld for the first time virtuallyon Saturday, Nov. 21, at 3-4 p.m. and 6:30-9 p.m. with the Centerpiece program at 7-8 p.m, and afternoon and evening programming geared ...
|
|
|

| |
57th Street Art Fair to return next June
The 74th annual 57th Street Art Fair is slated to return June 5-6, 2021. The free event is the Midwest's oldest juried art fair, featuring nearly 200 artists, live music, kids' activities and a food court. ...
|
|

| |
The African American Arts Alliance announces 2020 Black Excellence Awards
--From a press release
Chicago, ILThe African American Arts Alliance (AAAA) will host the 20th annual Black Excellence Awards, an evening celebrating Black artists, Black voices, and Black stories across artistic disciplines, on November 10, 2020 at 7pm. The 2020 ...
|
|

| |
Arts in the Dark Halloween Parade, this year a drive-through
--From a Chicago Park District press release
CHICAGO: LUMA8, in collaboration with the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), the Chicago Park District and Presenting Sponsor, the Blommer Chocolate Company, is pleased to announce Arts in the Dark - an UPSIDE ...
|
|

| |
"All Souls to the Polls" concerts to help fund GOTV efforts
--From a press release
Chicago, ILAdding art to the urgency of ensuring a robust voter turnout for what all consider to be 'the most important election of our lifetimes, more than 50 artists and activists from 50 states have created ...
|
|

| |
Nat'l AIDS Memorial to launch 50-state AIDS Memorial Quilt Virtual Exhibition
--From a press release
SAN FRANCISCO (October 9, 2020) — The National AIDS Memorial is announcing a virtual exhibition of the AIDS Memorial Quilt (the Quilt) that will feature more than 10,000 Quilt panels representing all 50 state and U.S. ...
|
|

| |
Twelve northern Illinois arts organizations receive grants
ComEd and the League of Chicago Theatres announced grants of up to $10,000 each to 12 non-profit arts organizations throughout northern Illinois to support the arts and encourage creativity. ComEd and the League, an alliance of ...
|
|

| |
'Art and Social Progress' Oct. 14
In concert with its ongoing virtual exhibition, "Anthem," Weinberg/Newton Gallery has partnered with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to present the virtual panel discussion "Art and Social Progress: Creating a Better ...
|
|

| |
Artist Sarp Kerem Yavuz talks career, online auction, COVID-19
When Sarp Kerem Yavuz was 5, he drew a boat with smiling passengers and a caption that read "The boat that was curious about what was under the sea." "I distinctly remember thinking about the internal ...
|
|

| |
NATIONAL Trans incidents, governors, It Gets Better, Keith Haring, Gloria Trevi
The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) mourned the loss of Aerrion Burnett, a 37-year-old Black trans woman from Independence, Missouri who was found dead of a gunshot wound Sept. 19, a press release noted ...
|
|

| |
Artist-led "Retreat" to provide platform for creatives in food, music, art
--From a press release
CHICAGO — Rebuild Foundation, the arts, education and cultural development organization founded by artist Theaster Gates, and Dorchester Industries today announced the opening of "RETREAT," an artist-led activation aimed at ...
|
|
|

| |
Five Worth Finding: Tom of Finland, help for renters, 'Batwoman'
—Rentervention (https://lcbh.org/get-legal-help/rentervention): This webpage begins with a daunting statistic: Each year, more than 20,000 people are evicted from their homes in Chicago. Rentervention—a part of the ...
|
|

| |
MCA Chicago receives $2.5M grant from Mellon
The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Chicago received a $2.5-million award from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundationthe largest in the venue's history. In a statement, the MCA said the grant "will enable the museum to take ...
|
|

| |
EXPO Chicago hosting EXHIBITION Weekend Sept. 24-27
EXPO Chicago has announced EXHIBITION Weekend (Sept. 24—27)a digital initiative showcasing Chicago-based exhibitions, curatorial projects and artist programs through virtual studio visits, exhibition and gallery tours; ...
|
|

| |
Series to celebrate Mexican artist Frida Kahlo
GLEN ELLYN, Ill. The McAninch Arts Center (MAC), in association with the Cleve Carney Museum of Art (CCMA), will host a monthly series of events celebrating iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Kicking off the series, ...
|
|

| |
PHOTOGRAPHY Lisa A. Frank talks career, inspirations, Springboard Arts Chicago installation
Fifteen years ago, Lisa A. Frank's professional world changed forever when she was fired from a job designing textiles for Ralph Lauren. The very next day, Frank went out and bought a digital camera and "never ...
|
|

| |
ART
LGBTQ+ installation on display in Chicago Cultural Center
The final pieces of Sam Kirk's latest art installation are on display in the Chicago Cultural Center until the end of September. In honor of Pride, Kirk's installation began as a way to pay tribute to ...
|
|

| |
WORLD Tom of Finland, India items, Denmark legislation, PrEP study
The works of the iconic Finnish artist Tom of Finland will be exhibited in Japan for the first time ever, a press release noted. The exhibition is the result of a collaboration between the Finnish Institute ...
|
|

| |
American Art Awards names 25 best American galleries, museums
By Thom Bierdz
This is the 12th anniversary for the American Art Awards organization who decides the 25 Best American Galleries and Museums each May. Decisions are based upon years established, industry reputation, online buzz, location, size, socially relevant ...
|
|

| |
Black Trans Lives Matter mural formally unveiled in Andersonville (UPDATED)
On Aug. 22, community members gathered on Catalpa Avenue between Clark Street and Ashland Avenue in Andersonville to check out the new mural that stretches across the street reading "Black Trans Lives Matter." Speakers included many ...
|
|

| |
Virtual Chalk Howard Street extended through Oct. 23
With the nonprofit Rogers Park Business Alliance and Howard Street Special Service Area #19 hosting, Virtual Chalk Howard Street has returned. On every other Friday at 11 a.m. from Aug. 28 through Oct. 23, Chicago 3-D ...
|
|
|

| |
Hyde Park Art Center reopening Sept. 1
Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave., will reopen its doors for limited exhibition hours starting Tuesday, Sept. 1. The reopening will feature the Artists Run Chicago 2.0 exhibition, celebrating the work of 50 artist-run ...
|
|

| |
Driehaus reopening in late August
The Driehaus Museum, 40 E. Erie St., will reopen to the public Saturday, Aug. 29. The museum will open for a members-only preview Saturday-Sunday, Aug. 22-23. Patrons are urged to wear face coverings. Also, new health ...
|
|

| |
Illinois Arts Council Agency announces open-deadline grants
The Illinois Arts Council Agency (IACA) has announced the release of fiscal year 2021 guidelines and application materials for its open deadline programs: Artstour & Live Music, Short-term Artists Residency, and Individual ...
|
|

| |
BIPOC/TGNC artists take part in 'Black Trans Lives Matter' mural
Answering a callout on the weekend of Aug. 8-9 to paint the message "BLACK TRANS LIVES MATTER," BIPOC/TGNC artists took part on the artwork, located between Clark Street and Ashland Avenue. A local Andersonville artist offered ...
|
|

| |
Call for BIPOC/TGNC artists for mural painting Aug. 8-9
In partnership with the 40th Ward and Ald. Andre Vasquez, the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce (ACC) has issued an immediate callout for volunteer artists for this weekend (Aug. 8-9) to paint the message "BLACK TRANS LIVES ...
|
|

| |
Fellowship for local Black theater artists announced
The League of Chicago Theatres announced The Samuel G. Roberson Jr. Resident Fellowship, a grant to fund a residency for early to mid-career Black theater artists based in Chicago for a one-year partnership with a Chicago-area ...
|
|

| |
Wrightwood 659 showing Doshi exhibit Sept. 9-Dec. 12
Local art space Wrightwood 659, 659 W. Wrightwood Ave., will reopen with an exhibition devoted to the work of visionary Indian architect, urbanist and teacher Balkrishna Doshi. Recipient of the 2018 Pritzker Architecture Prize, Doshi (born ...
|
|

| |
New public artworks coming to Chicago Riverwalk
--From a Chicago Dep't, Cultural Affairs, Special Events press release
CHICAGO, IL The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) in collaboration with the Department of Assets, Information and Services (AIS) today announced new public artworks on the ...
|
|

| |
NUNN ON ONE PHOTOGRAPHY Peter Bussian focuses on New York's trans community
Peter Bussian is a visual artist who continually promotes international themes in his work. He's been published in The New York Times, LA Times, Paris Match and O: The Oprah Magazine, among others. Several galleries in ...
|
|

| |
MCA reopening July 24
The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Chicago announced it is planning to reopen to the public Friday, July 24, after several months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. With support from Northern Trust, the museum ...
|
|

| |
Fellowship for local Black theater artists announced
The League of Chicago Theatres announced The Samuel G. Roberson Jr. Resident Fellowship, a grant to fund a residency for early to mid-career Black theater artists based in Chicago for a one-year partnership with a Chicago-area ...
|
|

| |
LGBTQ artists' installation being moved to Chicago
For the closing ceremony of last summer's World Pride in New York City, a work of art celebrating the LGBTQ community was wrapped around Times Square's main stage. For five days, this work took up an ...
|
|

| |
SAVOR Less is more for out chef Art Smith during pandemic
DISH Dining Guide
When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade. Just ask Art Smith. During the coronavirus pandemicthe culinary expert who has cooked for luminaries such as Oprah Winfrey, the Obamas and Nelson Mandelahas employed a healthful plan ...
|
|

| |
NATIONAL Puerto Rico setback, gay-bar attacks, election news, Artists for Artists
Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vazquez Garced signed a new civil code that removed explicit non-discrimination protections for the island's LGBTQ citizens, LGBTQ Nation reported. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), singer/rapper Bad Bunny ...
|
|

| |
Global Pride event announces first wave of speakers, artists
A worldwide LGBTQIA+ Pride event has announced the first wave of speakers and artists appearing at the online event Saturday, June 27, and is expected to attract up to 300 million viewers, an InterPride press release ...
|
|

| |
Chicago artists virtually unveil mural honoring LGBTQ community
CHICAGO, IL — Chicago artists Andy Bellomo and Sandra Antongiorgi have virtually unveiled a new mural that highlights queer artists of color who use their life's work to improve community well-being and create social change. "Rebirth" ...
|
|

| |
STREAMING THEATER REVIEW To Master the Art
Playwright: William Brown and Doug Frew. At: TimeLine Theatre, streaming. Tickets: TimelineTheatre.com; $15-$25. Runs through: June 7 TimeLine Theatre commissioned To Master the Art in 2008 and presented its world premiere two years later. It was ...
|
|

| |
Brick by brick, Mark Larson talks about a life of LEGOs
Mark Larson has done a lot of things in his life, from being a theater actor to a bouncer at the now-defunct Boystown nightclub Spin. Now he's the "chief brick officer" at Brickworld, which embraces the ...
|
|

| |
STREAMING THEATER REVIEW To Master the Art
Playwright: William Brown and Doug Frew At: TimeLine (sic) Theatre, streaming. Tickets: TimelineTheatre.com; $15-$25. Runs through: June 7 TimeLine Theatre commissioned To Master the Art in 2008 and presented its world premiere ...
|
|

| |
Gene Siskel Film Center to host virtual movie trivia
CHICAGO—As the Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago continues to offer streamed programming through its Film Center from Your Sofa streaming series and virtual Q&As through Screen to Screen, ...
|
|

| |
ART EXPO CHICAGO pushed to 2021
EXPO CHICAGO, The International Exposition of Contemporary and Modern Art, will present its ninth edition from April 8—11, 2021 at Navy Pier. The decision to move the fair from its traditional September 2020 time slot to ...
|
|

| |
ART Terra announces COVID-19 relief fund
The Terra Foundation for American Art announced an $8 million commitment to emergency funding and ongoing relief for visual arts organizations impacted because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund provides emergency support to Chicago, the United ...
|
|

| |
Out comedian joins Humanities event
On April 16, comedian Cameron Esposito joined the Chicago Humanities Festival for its first virtual event of the spring 2020 season. During the live-streaming conversationmoderated by Kristen Kaza, co-founder of Slo 'Mo: Slow Jams for Queer ...
|
|

| |
NU professor among academy's new members
Performer, author and Northwestern University professor E. Patrick Johnson is among an esteemed group of individuals named as the newest class of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. The members were elected by 276 artists, ...
|
|

| |
Foundation expedites nearly $3M in grants to arts organizations
Acknowledging the potentially cataclysmic financial situation that hundreds of beloved regional small arts organizations are facing, the board of the Chicago-based Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation unanimously voted to immediately ...
|
|

| |
'Frida Kahlo 2020' moved to 2021
The Cleve Carney Museum of Art (CCMA) and the McAninch Arts Center (MAC) at the College of DuPage (COD) announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic "Frida Kahlo 2020," originally scheduled for June to August of ...
|
|

| |
Humanities Festival postpones and goes digital during crisis
Chicago Humanities Festival (CHF) has shifted its strategy in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic, rescheduling spring programs for later in the year and moving some events to digital platforms. Three digital programs are already confirmed with ...
|
|

| |
ART EXPO CHICAGO slated to move forward
EXPO CHICAGO President/Director Tony Karman issued an open letter stating that ninth edition of the annual art event is still slated to run Sept. 24-27, but added (in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic) that "safety ...
|
|

| |
Arts for Illinois launches with grants for artists, groups
Arts Alliance Illinois joined Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot in launching Arts for Illinoisa collaboration between the State of Illinois, the City of Chicago and members of the philanthropic community to support ...
|
|

| |
CAKE postponed until June 2021
Because of coronavirus-related concerns, Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (CAKE) and CAKE-related activities are being postponed until a proposed date of June 2021. In a statement, organizers said, "Though the quality ...
|
|

| |
Chicago Alternative Comics Expo CAKE 2020 postponed
A statement to the CAKE community from Chicago Alternative Comics Expo: We know that many of you are rightly concerned about how the COVID-19 pandemic could potentially affect Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (CAKE) and CAKE-related activities. ...
|
|

| |
Kahlo exhibition tickets on sale
The Cleve Carney Museum of Art (CCMA) and the McAninch Arts Center (MAC) at the College of DuPage (COD) will host one of the largest private collections of original artworks by Frida Kahlo in a multifaceted ...
|
|

| |
Nat'l Museum of Mexican Art postpones March public events
With the National Museum of Mexican Art monitoring the status of COVID-19 (coronavirus) and implementing museum best practices and safety measures, the site has decided to postpone all public events through the end of March. This ...
|
|

| |
'Allure,' 'Warhol' closed until further notice
In light of the COVID-19 situation, the following visual arts institutions and exhibitions (and related programming) are temporarily closed until further notice: "The Allure of Matter." at both Smart Museum ...
|
|

| |
National Museum of Mexican Art postpones March public events
With the National Museum of Mexican Art monitoring the status of COVID-19 (coronavirus) and implementing museum best practices and safety measures, the site has decided to postpone all public events through the end of March. This ...
|
|

| |
Chicago Danztheatre presents What We Carried, on immigrant experience
CHICAGO (February 24, 2020) — Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble is pleased to announce the final performance of its 2019-20 Art & Activism Performance Series, WHAT WE CARRIED , a documentary-style danztheatre ...
|
|

| |
'Five Encounters' at Pride Arts March 7 through April 12
Five Encounters on a Site Called Craigslistan Edinburgh Festival hit by the British playwright and actor Sam Wardwill run at Pride Arts Center's The Broadway, 4139 N. Broadway, March 7-April 12. According to a press release, ...
|
|

| |
Cerqua Rivera Dance holding sneak preview April 16
Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre is building on the momentum from its 20th anniversary (in 2019) by launching three brand new art works and engaging with audiences across Chicago. The company will kick off its season at ...
|
|

| |
'Art after Stonewall' at Columbus museum
Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, and organized by the Columbus Museum of Art (CMA), "Art After Stonewall, 1969-1989" will be at CMA March 6-May 31. The exhibit debuted in 2019 in New ...
|
|

| |
BOOK REVIEW Headcase: LGBTQ Writers and Artists on Mental Health and Wellness
Edited by Stephanie Schroeder and Teresa Theophano. $29.95; Oxford University. Press; 287 pages You had a flu shot this year. You watch your cholesterol, eat better, stay active, and brush twice a day. So why do ...
|
|

| |
Sinfonietta's 'Sight + Sound' on March 7, 9
The Chicago Sinfonietta concert "Sight + Sound: A Sonic Art Exhibition" will take place Saturday, March 7, at 8 p.m. at Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville; and Monday, March 9, at 7:30 p.m. ...
|
|

| |
Terra announces new president/CEO
The Terra Foundation for American Art announced that it has appointed Sharon Corwin as its new president/CEO, following an international search that began last year. Corwin currently serves as the Carolyn Muzzy Director and Chief Curator ...
|
|

| |
'Art after Stonewall' at Columbus, Ohio, museum
Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, and organized by the Columbus Museum of Art (CMA), "Art After Stonewall, 1969-1989" will be at CMA March 6-May 31. The exhibit debuted in 2019 in New ...
|
|

| |
'Drag Them to the Polls!' moved to Feb. 28
"Drag Them to the Polls!"a voter-education effort to get out the LGBTQ+ vote in the Chicago area by celebrating the city's history of drag art and activismwill now take place Friday, Feb. 28, 7-9:30 p.m., at ...
|
|

| |
Exhibit examines works of refugee, immigrant writers
The American Writers Museum, 180 N. Michigan Ave., celebrates refugee and immigrant writers with its newest exhibit, "My America: Immigrant and Refugee Writers Today," which explores the influence of modern immigrant and refugee writing on our ...
|
|